I'm moving sites!

this is a big changing and rebranding time for me and i am so very excited to announce my new website! we will have so many fun times over there! Go check it out and don't forget to follow me on bloglovin! i love you all, see you over there! (click on the image!)

Tennessee

i don’t know where to start this blog. i don’t think i’m even done processing all of it yet. i think i will probably be processing for a while so bear with me.

i know i haven’t blogged in days. but with moving and packing and photographing an engagement and baby session there just wasn’t time. and i was trying my hardest to live in the moment. saturday i packed and cleaned all day and in the evening ran over to jon and nina’s to drop off the baby pictures and say goodbye. i have found i am probably the worst with goodbyes. i would rather not say them at all and pretend that i’m not really leaving. but i was descent with goodbyes this year and didn’t really cry when i said them. ( and i said a lot of them!) when i handed nina the pictures and she gave me a hug i felt that little lump coming up in my throat but quickly shut it down. we talked for a few minutes and then when i went to hug jon i just sort of fell apart. i couldn’t look anyone in the eye and i just laughed and said “okay see ya later!” in a really high pitched voice.

and then i proceeded to fall apart for about an hour afterwards. (and their encouraging tweets probably made me fall apart more…) i have really good friends. and that has been the hardest part of leaving Virginia. i have friends in Lynchburg, friends in Fredericksburg, and i just want to be friends with them forever. the Lord blessed me with really really good people to influence my life and direction and i am so beyond thankful that he did.

sunday i woke up nice and early, threw a few more things in my truck and got on the road. i sang very loudly, drank a great cup of coffee, snacked on grapes and had many conversations with myself. i love road trips and this one was no different. i made great time and arrived at my sister and brother in-laws around two. my nephews were super excited to see me (yes both the older ones! who even are you joe?!) and we moved their new train table in and they haven’t stopped playing with it since.

ultimately i have a ton of things to do in the next couple weeks. prepare for weddings, work on my business, network, find a church, keep from falling apart… a lot of things. but i am putting one foot in front of the other and eventually i’m sure we will get somewhere. i am glad to be here. i know this is where God wants me to be.

i have to drive to the library to post on the blog because my sisters house has no internet. so blog life will be a little quiet this summer. i hope you stick around.

also Tennessee is hot and humid and i keep double checking with the Lord.

is it autumn yet?

Summer Land | Australia | Samantha Heather

G'day everyone, its Sam here from Samantha Heather and it's my wonderful pleasure to be here on Abbey's blog to talk about my home. It may not be Summer here right now, but its still beautiful and it's become a part of who I am. So I'm super excited to be introducing you to my home.

Sydney.

It’s the city where I was born, where I grew up and now where I live.

I have left it many times to travel the corners of the globe but the thing about Sydney is, you always come back.

From where I live I am a 20-minute drive north of the beach, a 20-minute drive south of the city and an hour and a half east of the vast Australian mountains. 

Sydney has it all and I’m very lucky and very proud to call it home.

The Coast.

Whether you’re a beach bum or a coastal trekker, Sydney has got you covered. When I feel like having a lazy day, I can get in the car and drive to the beach. It may be to watch the sunrise and read my book, or perhaps in the summer I can enjoy the 35+ degree heat (Celcius) in my swimming costume and my large brimmed hat. Lazy days by the Australian shore are simply heavenly.

 

Then there will be other days where I feel like an adventure. I can drive to the national park and go for a bush walk along the cliff faces of New South Wales. There are no railings or guided paths, there's just the bush, the cliffs and the long drop to the ocean below. It’s exhilarating and it's beautiful. I feel like you haven't lived in Sydney until you've explored the national parks. Its a beauty like no other.

 

The City.

I've said in posts on my blog before, that the Sydney landscape and natural environment has always been my favourite part of where I live, but then I wander back into the city and I start to doubt myself. There is something so special about walking around the Harbour Bridge or under the sails of the Opera House. I become a tourist in my own city, and after living here for over two decades, I think that is saying something.

 

The windy streets and the narrow alleyways hold an array of treasures to be discovered. The Contemporary Art Museum is one of my favourite places to visit because a) it's free and b) inside its doors hold art that cannot be described with words, it must be felt, and I find it truly fascinating.

 

I also love the hustle and bustle of the city. The constant movement. I love standing still in the middle of a crowded pathway and watching the hundreds of people travel past me. Some talking loudly on the phones about a meeting that was supposed to be organised 3 weeks ago and some dancing along to the music playing in their ears. It reminds me how small we are and how big this world is. It's a humbling experience.

The Mountains.

While the city and the coast provide that crisp sea-salt air across your face, the Blue Mountains provide an environment and an experience like nothing else. Half way between the city and the mountains, you can start to feel the air around you changing. It grows colder but it also grows fresher.

 

Then you get there, and the soft mountain air touches your face, and you feel this sensation travel through your body, and you begin to feel at one with the nature around you. You stand at the edge of the cliff and you overlook the hazy blue horizon ahead of you, you close your eyes and take a deep breath in. That moment is truly something out of this world.

 

If you're tired of all the walking around you've been doing so far though, there are other things to do in the mountains other than hike. The local towns are small and friendly and you can always be sure you will find yourself a great feed. And if shopping is more your thing then maybe stay in the city you can always venture through the various antique shops that seem to be on every corner. There is always something to find, a hidden treasure worth millions perhaps?

 

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I could rant about Sydney for hours. As I've grown older, my heart has grown fonder and I'm starting to realise why tourists flock by the thousands to visit this country. I hope I have painted you a clearer picture of my home and why I am proud to live here. If you ever find yourself travelling to the great down under, I would love to show you around. We, Aussies, would be ecstatic to have you!

Thanks for having me Abbey! It's been an absolute blast :)

***(abbey now!) Sam, your country/home is so beyond beautiful and the word pictures you paint us are perfect! oh how i wish this wasn’t so far away! if i ever go to Australia again, i am having coffee with this lady for sure. thank you so much for being a part of this project! i loved every minute of it! also happiest birthday from all your american's over here! i think its safe to say we love you and wish you the best year!